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Geotube Dewatering Technology

For Municipal Sludge Dewatering

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Municipal Sludge Dewatering

Domestic Wastewater and Sludge


Domestic wastewater is harmful to the environment due to the presence of high oxygen-demanding
material, nutrients, suspended solids, pathogenic organisms, organic compounds and other
contaminants.

Sludge is produced in large amount in the process of wastewater treatment. Sludge is typically subject
to dewatering prior to disposal. Dewatering serves the following purposes:
Reduces volume, saving money on storage and transportation.
Eliminates free liquids before landfill disposal. Containment.
Reduces fuel requirements if the residuals are to be incinerated or dried.

Geotube Dewatering Technology


TenCate Geotube dewatering technology involves the use of TenCate Geotube dewatering unit that
functions as follows:
Containment: Solids are contained inside the TenCate Geotube dewatering unit.
Dewatering: Water drains out of the TenCate Geotube dewatering unit.
Consolidation: Over time, allows further drying of biosolids to take place.
Dewatering.
At the end of the dewatering use, the TenCate Geotube dewatering unit can be cut open, exposing
highly dewatered solids that can be easily excavated and transported away. TenCate Geotube
dewatering units are available in a variety of sizes, depending on your volume and space requirements.
TenCate Geotube dewatering units can even be mounted in mobile roll-off containers that can be
transported around your property as necessary. Its one of the most versatile dewatering technologies
available.

Consolidation.

2 | Municipal Sludge Dewatering


Advantages of Geotube Dewatering Technology
TenCate Geotube dewatering technology has become the method of choice for wastewater treatment
facilities around the world. The main advantages of the TenCate Geotube dewatering technology are
as follows:
The TenCate Geotube dewatering technology is simple. Unlike mechanical systems there are
no mechanical or moving parts that can be subject to breakdowns and wear and tear.
Does not require capital investment (this makes the system easy to adopt, especially when the
plant needs to handle seasonal spikes).
At plants that use drying beds for sludge dewatering, the use of TenCate Geotube dewatering
units on these drying beds can increase the sludge dewatering capacity of existing drying
beds many fold.
Able to achieve solids capture in excess of 98% (see Table 1).
Able to achieve very high contaminant capture rates (see Table 1).
RDT test setup.
The effluent is filtered water often of a quality that can be reused or returned for processing or
to native waterways without additional treatment.
Dramatically reduces odour problems.
Operates relatively noise free, unlike mechanical systems.
Does not require start-up and shut down time.

Table 1: Test results from Bonnechere Valley Study in Canada


Item Capture rate in Geotube dewatering unit (%)
Suspended solids 99.6
Phosphorus 98.2
Nitrogen 82.3
E.coli 99.9
Arsenic 100
Lead 98.8
Sludge, effluent and dewatered solids. Mercury 99.9

Municipal Sludge Dewatering | 3


Municipal Wastewater
Treatment Plant

Case Study
A common problem at small wastewater treatment plants, where sludge is
dried on drying beds, is that the limited capacity of the beds can easily be
project Digested Sewage
Sludge Dewatering exceeded. This could be due, for example, to an increase in sludge quantity
resulting from an increasing population.
location USA
The TenCate Geotube dewatering system is increasingly being used as a
means of both simplifying the sludge dewatering process and effectively
In 1999, 1700 m3 of digested sewage sludge
was dewatered using Geotube dewatering increasing the volume of sludge handling capacity of the drying beds.
technology at the Kansas City Municipal Sewage Whereas in the past the drying beds had to be emptied at regular intervals,
Treatment Plant. Ten Geotube dewatering the time for a complete fill of the TenCate Geotube dewatering unit can be
containers of 9.1 m circumference and nine of increased to several months. A significant saving can then be made in terms
13.7 m circumference, of lengths 9.1 to 45.7 m
were used. The Geotube dewatering containers of handling and transportation.
were placed on an asphalt parking area that was
covered with a geomembrane for the collection After the sludge has been treated with a flocculant it is pumped into the
of the effluent water which was returned to TenCate Geotube dewatering unit where the solids remain while water seeps
the plant for treatment. A 100 mm diameter
submersible pump that was equipped with water through the pores of the TenCate Geotube dewatering unit. This process can
jets to loosen the material was used to pump the be repeated over and over again until the TenCate Geotube dewatering units
sludge into the Geotube dewatering containers. reaches its solids containment capacity.
The Geotube dewatering containers were
allowed to drain to more than half of their initial
height and then re-filled 3 to 4 times.
Larger wastewater treatment plants can also utilise the TenCate Geotube
dewatering unit for sludge containment and dewatering as an alternative to
The initial solids concentration of the sludge in belt-presses and/or centrifuges. It can also be used as an emergency kit if the
the digester was about 20%. The sludge was available mechanical dewatering equipment is out of order.
pumped at a diluted solids concentration of
about 9%. At the end of dewatering process
the top of the Geotube dewatering containers
were cut open. The dewatered residue that was
hauled to the landfill had a relative density of 1.2
and a solids concentration of 25%.

4 | Municipal Sludge Dewatering


Septic Tank Systems

Case Study
Many dwellings may not have access to municipal wastewater treatment
plants and generally rely on onsite treatment systems. The predominant onsite
project Septage Disposal
treatment system is the septic tank system which always includes a septic tank,
a distribution box and an absorption field or an equivalent process for effluent
treatment. The main function of the septic tank is to remove large particles and location Canada
grease, which would otherwise clog the effluent treatment process. Heavy solids
settle to the bottom as a sludge layer and undergo biological decomposition.
In 2002, in Ontario, Canada a policy paper was
produced to eliminate the land application of
Sometimes, a septic tank is used to treat the domestic wastewater while the untreated septage. While 90% of residents in
effluent may be piped to a centralised treatment plant. This sewage effluent Ontario had access to sanitary sewers, there
treatment system is a hybrid of the conventional septic tank system and a were still one million residents in rural areas
using septic tanks. Haulers across Ontario
municipal wastewater treatment system with the advantage that small pipes
were left in a bind, scrambling to find methods
are required to transfer the effluent and cheaper to construct. to treat and dispose of the septage. In 2004,
the TenCate Geotube Dewatering Technology
These septic tanks need regular sludge or septage removal, usually carried was presented to the Eganville Wastewater
out by a specialised contractor or service provider. The sludge is pumped from Treatment Plant in Bonnechere Valley. A trial
was carried out which showed the septage of
the septic tanks into sludge transportation tankers and taken to a centralised 3% solids concentration increased to nearly
location with sand drying bed facility for dewatering. The TenCate Geotube 40% in the TenCate Geotube dewatering unit.
dewatering system is ideal for dewatering septic tank sludge. The septic tank Laboratory test results showed excellent solids
sludge can be pumped directly into the TenCate Geotube dewatering unit, often and contaminant capture (see Table 1 of Page 3).
without the need for polymer addition. The solids remain within while water A permanent dewatering and processing facility
with an underground storage tank for receiving
seeps through the pores of the TenCate Geotube dewatering unit. This process septage was constructed in 2008. Haulers
can be repeated over and over again until the TenCate Geotube dewatering would simply empty the tanker trucks directly
unit reaches its solids containment capacity. into the underground storage tank. For the
dewatering process, septage was pumped from
the underground storage tank into the TenCate
Geotube dewatering unit. Test results on the
dewatered residuals showed that they can be
suitably used as a soil amendment nutrient.

Municipal Sludge Dewatering | 5


Waste Stabilisation Ponds

Case Study
Ponds, lagoons or impoundments are used for biological treatment of
Pantai 2 Project wastewater. The types of ponds, collectively termed as waste stabilisation
project
ponds, include aerobic ponds, facultative ponds, anaerobic ponds, polishing
ponds and aerated lagoons. They are either formed by excavation or earth
location Malaysia perimeter bunding and can reduce BOD and SS to the same levels as
mechanical treatment plants. In addition because of the longer residence
time of wastewater in the lagoon, removal of pathogenic bacteria and viruses
The Pantai Sewage Lagoons were constructed
many decades ago when the area was still by natural die-off is greater than in an activated sludge treatment plant
undeveloped. The rapid urban development (residence time usually several hours).
of Kuala Lumpur saw houses and apartments
built closer and closer to the sewage lagoons. Sludge forms at the bottom of waste stabilisation ponds and periodic
The Pantai 2 Sewage Treatment Plant Project is
desludging may be necessary. Urbanisation and developments that come
a green transformation project. A new modern
municipal wastewater treatment plant would be into close proximity with existing waste stabilisation ponds often require
constructed in place of the lagoons. The sewage closeout of these ponds and a municipal wastewater treatment plant may be
that the old lagoons were receiving was diverted constructed as a replacement system.
to other treatment plants while the lagoons were
cleaned out. Geotube dewatering technology
was used to dewater the sludge accumulated The TenCate Geotube dewatering technology is ideal for onsite dewatering
in the lagoons. The site lacked area to place of waste stabilisation pond sludge, be it periodic or pond closeout desludging.
the Geotube dewatering units. Firstly, a small Sludge is dredged from the waste stabilisation ponds and after the sludge
segment of the lagoon was dedicated for the has been treated with a flocculant it is pumped into the TenCate Geotube
construction of the Geotube dewatering
dewatering unit where the solids remain while water seeps through the pores
platform. This was done by placing an earth
berm across the lagoon before the sludge in of the TenCate Geotube dewatering unit. This process can be repeated over
the segmented area was pumped into the main and over again until the TenCate Geotube dewatering unit reaches its solids
lagoon. Geotube dewatering units were then containment capacity. Stacking of TenCate Geotube dewatering units can
placed over the dewatering platform created. reduce the footprint area required for the Geotube dewatering platform.
As sludge dewatering works progressed more
dewatering platform area was created and the
whole process was repeated until all the sludge
in the lagoons were dewatered.

6 | Municipal Sludge Dewatering


Geotube Tests and Softwares
TenCate Water & Environment Group can help you engineer the TenCate Geotube dewatering
operation. The TenCate Geotube RDT is a simple rapid test that can be used to select the ideal
dewatering fabric and determine if a chemical accelerant is required and at what optimum dosage.
The TenCate Geotube GDT is a test that will determine the final dewatered and consolidated
solids concentration achievable. The TenCate Geotube Simulator software will help determine
the safe filling height of the TenCate Geotube dewatering unit while the TenCate Geotube
Estimator software will determine the quantities of TenCate Geotube dewatering units needed,
the filling time required and the final dewatered mass and volume. Geotube GDT test setup.

Geotube Dewatering Operation


The TenCate Geotube dewatering operation is simple and can be summarised as follows:
1. Select a level strip of land to use for the dewatering platform.
2. Lay a layer of geomembrane with nonwoven protection layer (this is not necessary if a
sand drying bed is used).
3. Place a thin layer of drainage aggregates (this may not be necessary in some cases).
4. Place the roll of TenCate Geotube dewatering unit on top of the dewatering platform.
5. Layout the TenCate Geotube dewatering unit as required and set up the chemical dosing
Effluent.
system (if necessary) and piping system.
6. Pump the sludge into the TenCate Geotube dewatering unit.

Consolidated material.

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Municipal Sludge Dewatering | 7
TenCate develops and produces quality products that increase performance, reduce cost, and
deliver measurable results by working with our customers to provide advanced solutions.

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TenCate Geotube is a registered trademark of Royal Ten Cate. The information contained herein is to the best of our knowledge accurate, but since the circumstances and conditions in which it may be used are
beyond our control, we do not accept any liability for any loss or damage, however arising, which results directly or indirectly from use of such information nor do we offer any warranty or immunity against patent
infringement.

2013 TenCate Geosynthetics Asia Sdn. Bhd. All Rights Reserved.

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